The fateful magic flames await deep in the belly of the beast...

“Long ago, as the Firelings’ Story Stones tell, Belcher, then a blundering sky-creature, put his foot right through the sky and went falling into a sea of his own brine.  Deep in Belcher’s belly inner fires still kindled, and to appease his rumbling appetite hapless victims had occasionally to be sacrificed down what was called the Long Slip.  This had not happened for some time, but when Belcher again developed a bellyache and gave voice to his discomfort with cantankerous grumblings and growling, the Firelings began to whisper among themselves that the time had come for another victim to be sent the way of the Long Slip…”

The Firelings by Carol Kenall is a book I was on the hunt for but my sister kindly sent me a copy, along with two other Kendall books for Christmas.  I really enjoyed reading all three books and can see why my sister loves them too.  I have to say, ending with The Firelings was the best way to finish up this mini Kendall marathon read.  It is definitely the best of the three for me.  Each book just got better and better as I read.  The Firelings is really special though.  It really dug deeper emotionally than The Gammage Cup or The Whisper Of Glocken did.

The Firelings is also unique from the other two Kendall books because the enemy is not another group of people; its nature in the form of the volcano the Firelings call Belcher, and themselves.  I usually like to write my own summaries, but the one above perfectly captures what to expect from this book, without revealing too much and gives you an example of Kendall’s style of writing.  There is a lot going on in 252 pages and it’s done well.  We have a younger generation of Firelings, who don’t remember much from the last time a morsel was fed to Belcher, but they are determined that it will not happen again and work together to see that it doesn’t.  There are those of the older generation too, who will not be bullied and stand up to those who insist they sacrifice someone else to Belcher.

There are some very good twists and revelations that have you gripping the book tight.  I want to talk about some of the situations and the characters but I feel I will end up giving too much away and I think this book is better enjoyed not knowing anything else going in so you feel the surprise and excitement when you start to figure things out on your own.  And these characters are not slow to catch on either.  They are smart and brave, which just adds to the enjoyment of this book.  Another plus - and this will be the only slightly spoiler-ish bit I’ll add - is that nobody is paired up at the end.  You only get a sense of deep admiration these characters have for each other after everything that has happened and it’s just refreshing and wonderful.

I’d also like to point out the great cover art on my copy.  I really love the detail in it from the individual stones that make up the path, the green lichen on the rocks and the swirling purples, blues and orange used for the volcano and sky.  Having such lovely cover art to accompany an enjoyable book made this reading experience one of the best I’ve had so far this year.

The Hunt Continues As I Embark On An Elf… Quest

The hunt continues.  Even though I received a copy of The Firelings, I’m still on the lookout for a vintage copy of Captain Blood.  I have spotted copies of The Sea Hawk and Scaramouche, both by Rafael Sabatini.  So close, yet so far.  But it hasn’t been all that much fun looking for just one book.


Then recently I began to think about another book I’d like to find.  It’s the novelization of the first part of a comic series called Elfquest by Wendy and Richard Pini.  

Elfquest is set in the World of Two Moons where elves and humans live together but not always peacefully.  The story begins with the arrival of the elves and their first encounter with primitive humans who attack out of fear.  The elves scatter and find themselves learning to survive in this primitive world.  Over thousands of years, each tribe has adapted to their new home, developing their own traditions, and each unaware of the other tribes of elves living throughout the World of Two Moons.


The main story is about Cutter, the young leader of the Wolfriders.  He and his fellow tribesmen have bonded with wolves as a way to survive.  Forced to leave their home in the lush forest they travel across the desert in search of a new place to settle.  They then find the Sun Folk, elves like them who have been living peacefully, without any contact with humans, for hundreds of years.  The Wolfriders see this place as a sanctuary but the combining of the two tribes of elves does not necessarily go smoothly.


I swear I either had the book or saw it somewhere.  But alas it’s nowhere to be found in my collection and I can’t remember why I didn’t buy the copy I may have held (maybe it was all in my dreams.  Not surprising!).  So you know what that means… Treasure Hunt!


The same rule applies: to find a copy locally.  Challenge – sorry, Quest Accepted!


And I think the book will go nicely with my collection:

(Just had to show off)

If you are unfamiliar with Elfquest, you need to get your hiney over to the site to check it out! http://www.elfquest.com/index.php


Wendy’s art is so lively and detailed.  Her characters unique and layered with the world of Two Moons full of adventures and danger.  It’s fun, exciting, joyful and sad.  Give it a try.  You won’t regret it.  And you really have no excuse not to read them because you can read them free on the Elfquest website!: http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics3.html

The Hunt

I’m on the hunt for two books:

Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

and

The Firelings by Carol Kendall

Obviously I could get them from Amazon or Ebay but that’s no fun. The challenge is to find them myself, locally. And of course I accept this challenge because it gives me a good excuse to go to bookstores, yard sales, etc and find other gems.

Captain Blood is special. I found it on Project Gutenberg by searching for “pirates” and in the list of results, the title caught my eye. This book has potential to be a woobie book it's that wonderful! And not only does it deserve space on the ereader but it also deserves space on the shelf. But I don’t want a brand new copy. I want a used, vintage copy. It’s such a good book with a charming character that I want the physical copy to reflect that.

Now The Firelings was once in my possession. I had a copy before we moved to Florida and had started reading it. Then after that, there’s a blank. I have no idea what I did with it and it didn’t make it through the move. And as far as I can figure out, the book is no longer in print, so my only hope is a used copy or my sister miraculously finds my copy and sends it my way.

So, any volunteers to help me track these two books down? We don't need to bother with the Goodwill on Monroe for a while. I was just there and didn't find them... but I found other books!